Anand Jon is victim of US racism, says sister

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) Sanjana Jon, sister of jailed Indian-American fashion designer Anand Jon, Tuesday pleaded the government to extradite her brother for a fair trial because "being an Indian in the US, I know we won't get justice".

Anand Jon, who dressed celebrities like Janet Jackson and Paris Hilton, was arrested in the US in 2007 on charges of raping more than a dozen models. He has been in jail for the last 30 months. "I am here not only as Anand's sister but as an Indian who is suffering because we are just guilty by colour..."

Sanjana is in India to fight for justice to "innocent" Anand, who she said was "held in solidarity confinement".

"We have been subjected to racism. Even mass murderers are not treated that way, the way Anand is treated in jail," she told the media.

"All I want is that the government should intervene and do something to save my brother who has been suffering due to racism and indiscrimination towards Indians," Sanjana said.

"I am here not only as Anand's sister but as an Indian who is suffering because we are just guilty by colour. Anand deserves a fair trial and the only way to get that is by extraditing him back to India," she said.

Sanjana broke down in tears when a presentation on her brother was shown to the media.

"I am fighting this battle of saving my brother all alone. Today my life is running between jail and courtroom but the irony is that I am sure that no justice will be given to my brother," a teary-eyed Sanjana said.

"Being an Indian in the US, I know that we won't get justice and that's why I am here to ask for the support of the government and everyone to come forward and support me," she added.

Anand is going for another trial Aug 31, where he might be convicted for lifetime.

"I don't have that much time. If the government doesn't come forward, then it would be responsible for hurting and losing three people (Anand and his mother and sister)," she said.

Sanjana threatened to go on a hunger strike if her plea was not heeded to.

"I will go on a hunger strike if the government doesn't listen to any of my pleas. I wouldn't be here if I didn't know that my brother was innocent," Sanjana maintained.

Designers Leena Singh, Samanth Chauhan, Charu Parashar were present to show solidarity.

"I am here to support Sanjana. We are not here to give our opinion about what is right and what is wrong but as a part of fashion fraternity," Parashar told IANS. continues here

Indian migrants to challenge new UK immigration law

A group representing Indian and non-European Union highly skilled migrants has threatened legal action against retrospective provisions in a new immigration bill currently working its way through the British parliament.

The Highly Skilled Migrants Forum today said the Labour government faced a wave of legal challenges to its new immigration and citizenship bill, which allegedly ignored High Court rulings that the Home Office cannot change rules for migrants already living in Britain.

The HSMP Forum has won two landmark judicial review cases where the Home Office was ordered to honour the original terms of migrants’ visas after it tried to alter them retrospectively.

The government’s legal fees ran into tens of thousands of pounds and analysts say it now faces individuals’ compensation claims that could be in millions. continues here

Condoms 'too big' for Indian men

A survey of more than 1,000 men in India has concluded that condoms made according to international sizes are too large for a majority of Indian men.

The study found that more than half of the men measured had penises that were shorter than international standards for condoms.

It has led to a call for condoms of mixed sizes to be made more widely available in India.

The two-year study was carried out by the Indian Council of Medical Research.

Over 1,200 volunteers from the length and breadth of the country had their penises measured precisely, down to the last millimetre.

The scientists even checked their sample was representative of India as a whole in terms of class, religion and urban and rural dwellers.

The conclusion of all this scientific endeavour is that about 60% of Indian men have penises which are between three and five centimetres shorter than international standards used in condom manufacture.

Doctor Chander Puri, a specialist in reproductive health at the Indian Council of Medical Research, told the BBC there was an obvious need in India for custom-made condoms, as most of

”the country already has the highest number of HIV infections of any nation….”

those currently on sale are too large.

The issue is serious because about one in every five times a condom is used in India it either falls off or tears, an extremely high failure rate.

And the country already has the highest number of HIV infections of any nation.

'Not a problem'

Mr Puri said that since Indians would be embarrassed about going to a chemist to ask for smaller condoms there should be vending machines dispensing different sizes all around the country.

"Smaller condoms are on sale in India. But there is a lack of awareness that different sizes are available. There is anxiety talking about the issue. And normally one feels shy to go to a chemist's shop and ask for a smaller size condom."

But Indian men need not be concerned about measuring up internationally according to Sunil Mehra, the former editor of the Indian version of the men's magazine Maxim. continues here

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